bit-gamer.net

Capcom to focus on growing PC platform

Published on 12th May 2011 by Joe Martin

Capcom is to increase its focus on the PC as it targets new world markets, such as China.

Capcom is to increase its focus on the PC platform as it targets new markets in areas such as China, Russia and Brazil.

That's according to Capcom's senior vice president Christian Svensson, who recently commented that the Japanese publisher was losing 'hundreds of thousands' as Sony's PlayStation Network remained offline due to hacking attacks.

Writing on the Capcom Unity blog, Svensson said that several key executives at Capcom were leading a push to grow the PC platform and that the strategy would help grow Capcom's presence in new markets.

'As we continue to expand our businesses in Russia, China, Korea and Brazil, the PC becomes increasingly important as it is the primary platform in those territories.' said Svensson.

'We've mentioned that our online efforts are aimed squarely at South Korea and China, focused around the PC. We don't get to be successful in that space without a better understanding of the PC market and what it means to operate services rather than shipping discrete products,' he added.

Svensson also pointed out that Capcom was the first publisher to feature full Steamworks integration in a game, as well as the first publisher to feature full DirectX 10 support in a game. It was the PC version of Lost Planet in both cases.

Let us know your thoughts in the forums.

18 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

DXR_13KE 12th May 2011, 11:45

PIRACY!!!

Ergath 12th May 2011, 12:03

This sounds like a good thing for the PC, and is more evidence that PC gaming is thriving - though I must say that Capcom don't do much that interests me personally (well, not since my Amiga broke).

Mentai 12th May 2011, 12:36

Capcom is interesting in that it's a Japanese company putting things on PC. That is almost unheard of. No one PC games in Japan since most PC games are English only. Even on Steam, if it detects you're in Japan, it doesn't have the option to buy any Capcom game. Granted the only reason they're looking into this is because they want to expand their international markets, but it's still good to see.

vampalan 12th May 2011, 13:11

Interesting how they will "crack" these developing markets since as mentioned before, there's loads of piracy. No point expecting people to pay 50UKP/80USD for a computer game when their income doesn't have the slack for that. I think a DVDR of a computer game in China was 3-4 RMB last time I checked, which works out about 30-40 UK PENCE.

the-beast 12th May 2011, 13:51

God I hope not, we don't need any more games on the PC with always on DRM. That sort of crap has really bitten capcom hard recently with he PSN being down and even legally purchased capcom single player games refusing to run because of their short sighted 'anti piracy' issues

Unknownsock 12th May 2011, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by the-beast
God I hope not, we don't need any more games on the PC with always on DRM.

Please take your whine else were...

vampalan 12th May 2011, 14:31

Another way I think is that a person needs a valid copy of the game to play on-line, and the single player game is like a "demo" to how wonderful the multi-player part could be, Street Fighter would work for this.

Baz 12th May 2011, 16:27

The trick to cracking these lucrative markets is games that can't be pirated; namely ones with multiplayer focus. Want to play CS online? Well you need a valid steam account with a key. Ditto many multiplayer games, or popular MMOs/micro-transaction based games.

Will be interesting to see Capcom's approach,considering it's a company based around strong single player titles (which sell well in Japan) first and foremost.

thehippoz 12th May 2011, 16:35

I thought lost planet was pretty good when it released.. first dx10 I saw anyway

mighty_pirate 12th May 2011, 16:38

Good news. It would be great news if only they'd made more good games in the last decade than just Dead Rising 2 & Resident Evil 4.

Ayrto 12th May 2011, 17:34

This seems to be a trend of late, what with MS saying it's been neglected. Maybe PC gaming can have another 'golden era', as it did in the late 90s early 2000s. Before consolification brought dumbed down movement and less complex gameplay .

kornedbeefy 12th May 2011, 17:38

PC gaming has been on the rise to popularity again the past year or two. This is just more proof of it.

Fizzban 12th May 2011, 17:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by kornedbeefy
PC gaming has been on the rise to popularity again the past year or two. This is just more proof of it.

Probably because the xbox360 and ps3 are nearing the end of their lives. Hell the xbox 360 was no better than the PC I had at the time when it came out, and that was how many years ago now?

DXR_13KE 12th May 2011, 20:23

6 years.

TWeaK 12th May 2011, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Stupid Executive
We don't get to be successful in that space without a better understanding of the PC market and what it means to operate services rather than shipping discrete products

Games as a service? Count me right out.

I realise that what they're referring to are MMORPGs which, while not my cup of tea, are hugely popular in the areas they want to target. However, I just don't have any impression that they'll be able to do that market any justice, let alone the PC community as a whole.

Tanacel 13th May 2011, 10:13

So they are focusing on the PC, yet StreetFighter 4 was never patched to fix the mental balancing (unlike the xbox version that was) and have never released the Super version due to piracy?

Hello Mr U-Turn - how are you today?

deadstoned 13th May 2011, 13:11

Its nice that they support PC Gaming, but I just wish they stopped using GFWL all the time.

misterd77 14th May 2011, 19:32

Bet they eat haggis, I do and it's tasty.